Chapter 2: Black Students in Physics: The Intersection of Academic Ability, Race, Gender, and Class

The findings from national reports show surprisingly low percentages of Black students represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (American Institute of Physics, 2008; National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, 2008; National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, 2007). In 2004 African Americans earned 8.78% of all science and engineering degrees (National Science Foundation, 2006). These startlingly low numbers of Black STEM graduates contribute to the even lower number of African Americans who work in STEM fields. In 2006, African Americans accounted for approximately 5.8% of employed scientists and engineers in the United States (National Science Foundation, 2006). The small percentage of African Americans in STEM fields illuminates an underutilization of intellectual resources in the nation.